Railroad-switch



W. MILLER. Railroad-Switch.

No. 227,639. Patented May 18, I880.

N. PETERS, FNOTO-UTIIOGRIPNER, WASHINGTON. 0.0.

' UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' WILLIAM MILLER, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFOF HIS RIGHT TO CHARLESC. SANDERSON, OF DEDHAM,-MASSAOHUSETTS.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227,639, dated May 18,1880.

Application filed February 28, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM MILLER, ofBoston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain Improvements in Railroad-Switches, of which the fol- Ilowing is a specification.

This invention involves the employment of a single movable or pivotedswitch-rail, and has for its object to provide simple and efficientmeans, in a railroad-switch, whereby cars can pass safely from the sideto the main track when the main track is open, and along the main trackwhen the side track is open.

To these ends my invention consists in the improvements which I will nowproceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a plan view of a portion of a railroad-track 2oembodying my invention, showing the main track open. Fig. 2 represents asimilar view, showing the side track open. Fig. 3 represents a plan viewof the pivoted switch-rail. Fig. 4 represents asectionthroughthepivotedswitch- 2 5 rail on line 00 m, Fig. 3. Fig. 5represents a section on line 3/ y, Fig. 3.

The same letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, A A represent the fixed o rails, forming one side of amain track at a point where it is joined by aside track.

0 represents the fixed rail, forming one side of the side track, saidrail G being continuous with the main track-rail A. The main- 3 5 trackrail A is therefore not continuous with the rail A, but is madepractically continuous with the latter by a fixed plate, E, having atriangular projection or tread, E, one side of which is a continuationof the inner side of the 40 rail A, while the other side is parallelwith and acts as a guard for the side-track rail 0, near the point whereit joins the main-track rail A. The surface of the plate E below theprojection E forms a support for the flanges of 4 5 car-wheels on themain track passing over the space between the projection E and the railA.

B represents the rail forming the other side of the main track, which iscontinuous or uninterrupted at the junction of the main and side tracks.

0 represents the fixed rail, forming the other side of the side track,said rail terminating at a little distance from the rail B, as shown.

S represents the movable switch-rail, which is pivoted at d, and isadapted to be moved at its opposite end toward and from the maintrackrail B. This switch-rail, which constitutes the chief feature of myinvention, is formed with a tread, H, which gradually decreases in widthfrom the pivoted to the free end, the latter being pointed and fittingsnugly against the rail B when the switch-rail is in the position shownin Fig. 2, so that the inner side of the tread t t connects the innerside of the rail 0 with the inner side of the rail B, and thus opens theside track, the rails G and A being permanently connected, so that onlythe movement of the switch-rail is required to open the side track.

The switch-rail is provided with two inclines, cf, which commence at thepivoted end of the rail below the tread and terminate at the surface ofthe tread at or near the pointed end of the switch-rail.

The incline c is on the side of the switch-rail 5 nearest the main-trackrail B, and its function is to support and raise the flanges ofcar-wheels moving in the direction of the arrow on the main track whenthe side track is open, as shown in Fig. 2. The flanges of the wheels.strike-the incline e, and move along and up the same until they passover the pointed end of the switch-rail, when the wheels drop into placeon the rail B. The other incline, f, is on the opposite side of theswitch-rail, and it sup- 8 5 ports and raises the flanges of car-wheelsapproaching the main track upon the side track when the main track isopen, as shown in Fig. 1, the flanges riding up the incline f and acrossthe tread of the switch-rail, and dropping into g( the space between theswitch-rail and the maintrack rail B, the treads of the wheels droppingupon the tread of the rail B. I

It will be seen, therefore, that should the switch be misplaced there isno liability of 9 accident to a train approaching the switch in onedirection on either the side or the main track.

The switch-rail is simple, inexpensive, and not liable to get out oforder. It is operated 1 in the present instance by a lever, L, and a iswitch-mil when the main track is open, as connectingmod, R. i setforth.

I claimin testimony whereof I have signed my In a railroadswitch, thecombination, with i name to this specification, in the presence of 5 thefixed main and sidetraek 1'ails,of the pivtwo subscribing Witnesses,this 25th day of 15 otedswiteh-ra-il S, having the inclines, wherebyFebruany, A. D. 1880. the approaching car-wheels on the main track arecarried over the switch-rail when the side WILLIAM MILLER. Witnesses:

track is open, and the incline r, whereby ear- 1 HHARLES C. SANDERSON,10 Wheels on the side track are carried over the i I. F. BROWN.

